


Dragonflies

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Y-G-October 2018 [16]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Fae & Fairies, Implied Relationships, Late at Night, M/M, Magic, Meet-Cute, Meet-Weird, Weirdness, implied polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 12:25:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16326215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: Seto could feel his throat go dry, his heart beating a little bit faster, but he couldn't even say anything, the man just walked past him, as if he were a ghost, and for a moment, it felt as if time was slowing down, the click of the stranger's heels against the tile floor of the service station was like a bell ringing in Seto's head, it felt like there was ... abreezeof sorts that surrounded the stranger, and when he walked, the wind seemed to rush around Seto, or atleast, it felt that way, even though he knew that logically that made no senseYet, weirder still, was when the stranger walked past, the way he glanced over his shoulder, thesmilehe gave to the taller man, it was ... innocent and sweet, but somehow predatory and seductive at the same timeSeto felt as though he was meeting someone from a different world....Day 16 of Y-G-October 2018





	Dragonflies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Finaiarel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finaiarel/gifts).



> Day 16 of this challenge http://horrificmemes.tumblr.com/post/177941943723/its-that-tiiiime-just-like-last-fall-im-giving was going to be "Paranoia", that's what I was actually writing this for originally, but as it got around half-through, I decided that wasn't fitting anymore and changed it to "Otherworldly" instead

He was usually so much better prepared than this

He usually had a plan for everything, and a backup plan for every plan

But he had gotten caught off guard in a series of happenstances and now here he was, at one in the morning, standing outside in the cold October air, waiting on the gas pump to take his card, and cursing under his breath when it refused to do so

He was going to have to go inside to pay, frustratingly enough, but he didn't have much choice, he still had several miles to drive and his bike was on near empty

He took a long, deep breath, biting down on his tongue to keep from absolutely _screaming_ , and headed inside

The gas station was mid-sized, not small enough to be called small, but not quite big enough to be described as big, it was unremarkable and considerably boring, with a few different food options and various drink machines, from coffee to slushies and ofcourse typical soda, a couple of aisles of weird "essentials" like lighter fluid and hunting nives

There was only one employee working, by the looks of it, and no current customers

Well, atleast Seto figured that this should go pretty quickly then...

Inhaling deeply to calm himself, he strode in and made his way to the check-out counter immediately, staring down at the blonde behind the counter who was popping gum and reading a magazine

He had to clear his throat to get the stranger's attention, and when he did-

"Hey 'Tem- WOAH! Where the hell'd you come from!?"

"Outside," Seto replied blandly, his face deadpanned

"Right, what'cha' need?"

"Pump nine won't take my card,"

The clerked blinked, seemingly a little taken aback by that

"Oh.. um.... 'kay, how much were ya' lookin' to fill up?"

"Full tank I need another gallon and a half,"

The clerk nodded slowly, taking Seto's card and turning towards the cash register, staring down at it for a moment before something apparently caught his eye

"Oh! There ya' are 'Tem!" he chirpped happily, prompting Seto to turn around and catch sight of the other stranger

This ... "'Tem" was beautifull

He had dark tan skin, soft features that were somehow both gentle, soft curved, and hard, edge-lined at the same time, his eyes were garnet, his hair some ridiculous blend of blonde and red and black, he was short and slim, but had some obvious muscle tone as well, even though it was kind of hard to see under the black leather jacket

He was.... _enthralling_

Seto could feel his throat go dry, his heart beating a little bit faster, but he couldn't even say anything, the man just walked past him, as if he were a ghost, and for a moment, it felt as if time was slowing down, the click of the stranger's heels against the tile floor of the service station was like a bell ringing in Seto's head, it felt like there was ... a _breeze_ of sorts that surrounded the stranger, and when he walked, the wind seemed to rush around Seto, or atleast, it felt that way, even though he knew that logically that made no sense

Yet, weirder still, was when the stranger walked past, the way he glanced over his shoulder, the _smile_ he gave to the taller man, it was ... innocent and sweet, but somehow predatory and seductive at the same time

Seto felt as though he was meeting someone from a different world....

"Did you miss me Joey?"

Seto honestly wasn't sure what he had been expecting this man to sound like, but the deep, rumbling tenor that fell out of his lips definitely wasn't it

He had just the slightest hint of an accent, though Seto couldn't quite place it, and although there was nothing discernible about his speech pattern, it felt somehow as though he was speaking like someone far older than he reasonably should be

"Ya' know I did," the blonde- Joey- teased, grinning from ear to ear, making Seto wonder if they were flirting...

But it only lasted for a blink of a moment before the blonde abruptly turned his attention back towards Seto

"Sorry 'Tem, I've gotta finish up with this guy first, I'll be right with ya',"

"I'm in no hurry, take your time sweetheart,"

Yes, _definitely_ flirting then

Joey went back to the cash register, starting to plug away at the system as Seto glanced down at the purchases the stranger had laid down on the counter, feeling his eyebrows raise in confusion and surprise

Zip-ties, lighter fluid, a decorative lighter with roses on it, a pocket nife, and a giant slushie- cherry, by the looks of it

"'Tem" apparently noticed him looking, leaning down to take a sip of the slushie and grinning wickedly at him

"Well this looks perfectly incriminating, I hope you're not a cop,"

"CEO," Seto answered blandly, watching in surprise as the stranger's eyebrows jumped, eyes widening, face depicting something akin to shock and joy

"Really? What sort of company?"

"Gaming,"

"Oh... I rather like games...."

He was smirking again, staring at Seto the way the CEO imagined a lion probably stared at an antelope just before charging at it, but the strange stare off didn't last for very long

Fortunately or unfortunately, he hadn't quite decided yet

"You're all paid up, see ya' later,"

Ah... he was a little disappointed that that had happened so quickly, but made nothing of it as he took his card and receipt curtly, nodding to the clerk and immediately pocketing both before starting for the door

He was just taking a step outside when he happened to hear one last thing...

_"Ya' sure like takin' chances, anybody ever tell ya' that **Atem**?"_

_Atem_....

Why did that name send shivers up his spine?

 

~+~

 

Seto couldn't sleep

That was nothing new, he had a history of insomnia actually, but tonight it just seemed especially prevalent

He tossed and turned, his eyes couldn't stay closed, he felt weirdly jittery and twitchy for no particular reason, and although he would usually use this as an excuse to get up and work, he had an important meeting in the afternoon and really couldn't afford to just glide through it on no sleep and a prayer

He needed to get in atleast a few hours...

Finally deciding to go with his last resort, he headed downstairs and started searching for the chamomile tea, hoping it would ease his mind- it usually did in a pinch

But no matter how hard he searched, no matter where he looked, he just... couldn't find any

He couldn't understand it, he could have sworn he had just bought some, so where had it all gone!?

This was usually the point wherein he would just call it a loss for sleeping and start working instead, but...

He didn't do that

He could have sent someone out to get the tea for him, he had dozens of guards, assistants, maids, and the like, but...

He didn't do that

He could have gone to an all-night grocery store or 24-hour drug store that were reasonably nearby, but....

He didn't do that

Instead he found himself heading back to the same gas station he had been at a few hours ago, atleast _attempting_ to feel logical about it, and pulling into a parking space right in front of the doors

Just like earlier that night, the place was completely empty, he only saw one bike in the parkinglot and he assumed that it belonged to the clerk

Heading inside, he made his way back towards the food section, looking around, knowing for sure that he had seen tea there earlier out of the corner of his eye...

Ah-ha!

Finally a little luck...

He grabbed the box quickly, wasting no time in heading up to the counter and setting it down, reaching for his wallet, when something caught his eye

Or rather, _someone_

Just as he was about to pay for the tea, the door opened, and who should walk in but Atem?

He wasn't wearing his jacket this time, for some reason, wich apparently gave him an excuse to show off the muscles he had been hiding beneath it, given that his loose tank-top didn't leave alot to the imagination

He had walked in with sunglasses on and a lollipop in his mouth this time, and Seto was.... he was _enthralled_ once again

Atem was just as beautifull as he was the first time, and just as strange and alluring too, with the same cocky smirk and the same beautifull knowingness in his eyes

They locked with Seto's, and the CEO could swear that, for a moment, he felt an electric charge in his veins...

"We meet again," he commented with a soft smirk

"You say that as if we ever really 'met' the first time,"

"Mm, my apologies, you're right," he said, holding his hand out towards Seto politely

"I'm-"

"Atem, I know,"

To say that the stranger looked shocked by this was putting it mildly, but the shock slowly faded into something more gentle and almost... "resigned" wasn't the right word but it was all Seto could think of

It was as though he had just gotten an answer to a question he had asked three days ago and was both satisfied and almost... melancholy...

It was a strange look, to be sure

"Yes, I am, and you are?"

Usually Set o wouldn't even bother to introduce himself, it seemed like the text book definition of pointless, and yet...

"Seto Kaiba,"

"Ah, a lovely name, very strong,"

The stranger, _Atem_ , really didn't give Seto much time to respond to that, he merely glanced at the blonde clerk gain, as if exchanging messages with him through eye contact alone or something, and then turned his attention back to Seto

"I do hope we meet again someday,"

And then, before Seto could stop him- as if stopping him would have even been something he was going to do in the first place- Atem left, as quickly as he had come in

It was the strangest encounter the CEO had ever had, without a doubt

...

And he couldn't wait for another

 

~+~

 

Weeks passed after that, and Seto couldn't get the strange man out of his head

He saw Atem's face nearly everytime he closed his eyes, he thought about him all the time, and the dreams...

The dreams were really something else

Seto wasn't someone who dreamt often, in all honesty, it just wasn't his nature, but ever since that first night, he had dreamed every night, and every dream was about Atem

The dreams were a range of surreal and romantic and sexual and quiet and active and those weird twilight-sleep, drowsy sorts of things that could only questionably even be considered dreams at all

He started going back to that gas station whenever he had an excuse to do so, went inside even when he didn't need to, it was always something, and yet he hadn't seen Atem again- or the blonde clerk for that matter

Eventually, by the time the fourth week was ending, he started wondering if it was simply because of how early he was going

Yes he went to the gas station in both the day and the evening hours, but he had never been there during the graveyard hours again, not since that initial first meeting...

The night after realizing this, he had the most vivid dream to date

It was unexplainable, as they usually were

All he could say that it was Atem, being his usual alluring self, with a deer next to him, and wings behind him, there were colors everywhere and yet everything was beautifully dark and dim, everything was quiet and yet ... there was noticeable sound, he couldn't see himself in the dream, only feel what it was like to be there, and Atem was smiling again, and hushing him, and everything seemed beautifull

He woke up the next morning with renewed determination and made sure to work extra late that night

Surely enough, at around two in the morning, he found himself leaving the office and deciding to stop in the gas station for .... something

In all honesty, he couldn't even remember what he had talked himself into excusing the senseless trip for this time by the time he stopped, he just knew that he wanted to go inside and .... and see if things were the same as before or not

The parkinglot was empty again, except for the same one bike, and he had a pretty good feeling that atleast the blonde clerk would be there, that was one out of two

The curious thing though, was that he didn't even get the chance to go inside

Right after parking his car, he spotted Atem leaving the gas station

He was in his leather jacket again, carrying a bag of something that Seto couldn't identify, and walking down the small slab of pavement that he was only loosely identifying as a sidewalk

This was a good opportunity to see where Atem was going- or rather, how he was getting to wherever it was

Did the lone bike belong to him, perhaps?

He'd know soon enough, so he opened and shut his car door as quietly as he possibly could, trying to avoid putting too much pressure on the heels of his boots as he flowed the familiar stranger down the sidewalk

Atem walked

....

And walked....

.... And walked.....

And walked still

Finally, after what felt like ages, he stopped, at the edge of the forest behind the gas station, and when he did, Seto felt _chills_ go up his spine

Standing at the edge of the forest, seemingly in wait for him, was a deer

A beautifull buck, probably twice Atem's size, simply standing there, not flinching away or moving, just... waiting

Only when Atem came to the edge of the forest and placed a hand on the deer did the massive creature actually start to move

Watching them walk into the forest together was like something straight out of a fantasy movie...

Or a Creepypasta, depending on your perspective, he supposed

But now that he had actually seen it, he had to find out more

He had to know what the hell was going on

So he followed them

He followed them through the woods, staying close enough behind to keep them in sight without being close enough to be noticed

He wasn't sure how he was able to see in the pitch darkness like this, but it didn't actually seem to be a problem, he just... _could_

And somehow, his sudden ability to see in the dark wasn't exactly on the top of his list of weird things that needed to be investigated

He wasn't sure how long they walked for, it sort of felt like hours, but he knew that wasn't the case, and then, suddenly, it stopped, just as soon as it had started

Atem and his deer freind came to a small creek in the middle of the woods, one Seto had no idea even existed- wich was reasonable, it wasn't as if he came out here often, after all

They crossed the creek, and then... for some reason, Seto couldn't see them anymore

So, because he had come this far and it seemed unreasonable to stop now, he crossed the stream as well, and suddenly realized exactly why he hadn't been able to see them anymore

Crossing the stream was like crossing into an entirely different _realm_

Even though it was still a forest, with the same trees and grass and moss, there was just a different .... _sensation_ to it now

Everything felt different, the light was different- rather than pitch black darkness, the stars were brighter, and there were fireflies lighting all around

The sounds of the forest seemed stronger- louder- and everything just seemed more.... _magical_

He knew that sounded corny, and Seto was really the _last_ person to ever believe in magic, but he couldn't think of any other word that even half-way accurately described this sensation

He took another few steps, and that's when everything just.... changed

His perception, his beleifs, his life as he knew it

They all changed in that moment, when he watched Atem take off his jacket and set it down on some tree roots, stretching his arms above his head as a pair of beautifull, luminescent wings spread out behind him

They looked like dragonfly wings, but... much bigger, fit to Atem's size, and much more beautifull, fluttering in the bright autumn moonlight

Atem wasn't the only one experiencing a transformation either, the deer beside him also began to stretch out, and as he did, a bright but warm glow wrapped it's self around him, and when the glow faded, there was no longer a deer standing there, but instead, a man, just as beautifull as Atem

He was shorter and paler, with violet eyes instead of garnet, purple streaks in his hair instead of red, his features softer, gentler, younger, but ... somehow holding a wisdom to them that was far beyond their years

He wasn't wearing anything noticeable, just a simple backless dress, looking suspiciously almost as though it were made of leaves, and sporting the same beautifull wings that Atem now had

Atem wispered something to him, cupping his face and leaning down to give him a soft kiss, before turning those knowing eyes back to Seto, the same predatory grin lighting up his features as he walked slowly towards the human, his wings seeming to shimmer even more with each step, his expression soft as he stared at the other, holding a hand out towards him

"Hello Seto, I'd hoped you would find me again,"


End file.
